Travelling After July 1? Indian Railways Rolls Out Key Changes - Here’s What Passengers Should Know

The Ministry of Railways has decided that it will implement a set of important changes to its passenger booking system starting from July 1, 2025, with a significant shift in reservation protocols, charting timelines, ticketing security, and fare structures.

According to a recent announcement by officials, there are certain plans that have been made recently to hike specific fares.

Additionally, passengers need to be aware that Aadhaar-based OTP verification will become mandatory for all Tatkal ticket bookings starting July 1, 2025.

What Changes Can Passengers Expect?

AC Wait-List Cap Increased From 25% To 60%: The cap on the waiting-list tickets for air-conditioned coaches has been increased to 60% of the total number of berths, as compared to the limit of 25%, which was imposed earlier this month.

Non-AC Wait-List Fixed At 30%: For all non-AC sleepers as well as second-class coaches, the waiting list cap has been revised to 30% of total berth capacity. This balances demand while ensuring the availability of berths in the most heavily used segments.

First Reservation Chart To Be Prepared 8 Hours Before Departure: In a recent announcement, the Indian Railways had also announced that the first reservation chart will be issued eight hours before the train departures instead of the previous window of around four hours.

Mandatory Aadhaar Verification For Tatkal Bookings: All Tatkal bookings will be required to be made using an Aadhaar-linked user ID starting from July 1, 2025 and from July 15, an OTP sent to the passenger's Aadhaar-linked mobile number will also be mandatory to complete the booking.

Fare-Hike On Longer Routes: There will also be a minor fare hike on longer routes as the Indian Railways have announced a nominal fare increase - which is its first since 2020. Fares for the non-AC Mail/ Express trains will rise by Re 0.01 per kilometre, while AC fares will be increased by Re 0.02 per kilometre. Suburban fares, tickets under 500 km in second class, and monthly season passes remain unchanged.

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